#53: Say Thank You for Your Grant

Here's a tip from an excellent article. If you're a grant writer you should read the whole article, The Secret Life of Foundation Officers as told by Lee Draper, but I selected this particular tip to share. Since I'm an independent consultant, I'm not the one who gets the grant and wouldn't be the one to write the thank you. However, I'm embarrassed to say that I never had this on my list of tips to share with clients.

Thanks, Lee, for this and your other tips.

NCFY : : Publications : :The Exchange: "One other thing is, when you’re successful, write a thank-you note within 2 or 3 days. The number of nonprofits that do not thank their funders is very high. And what does that say to the donor? That says you are ungrateful. When you send a thank-you note, it makes the funder feel appreciated. They feel you care. And they will be receptive the next time you come with a new proposal. I cannot tell you how frequently I hear my colleagues who are grant makers say, “A third to half of our grantees never send a thank-you note. And they think that we’re going to fund them next year. Ha, ha, ha.” So that gets back to the fact that those are people behind the desk. And when they have helped you, it’s important to remember to thank them."

And, for my own self-interest, send your grant writer a thank you, too. It's one way of ensuring she knows you received the award. It amazes me how often people forget to let us know. And, of course, we like to be appreciated, too.

Photo by J. Star

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